Recent Posts…
March 25: The Solemnity of the Annunciation, The Date on Which Jesus (May Have) Died, and… and Tolkien Reading Day?
And somehow, J.R.R. Tolkien—who deliberately scheduled the destruction of the One Ring on this exact date—understood this profound connection better than most modern believers.Today, we’re connecting these threads across faith, history, and fantasy to reveal why March 25th might be the most profound date you’ve never thought twice about. For the early Church, determining the […]
The Monk Who Defied a Dying World: How St. Benedict Saved the West
Full Name Benedict of Nursia Born c. 480 AD, Nursia (modern Norcia, Italy) Died c. 547 AD, Monte Cassino, Italy Feast Day July 11 (Catholic Church) Patron Saint Of Monks, Europe, students, farmers, against poison, among others Major Contribution Founded Benedictine monasticism; wrote the Rule of St. Benedict Place of Death Monte Cassino (monastery he […]
Sola Scriptura is a DISQUALIFYING Belief for Authentic Christianity.
I frequent a number of “Anti-Catholic” message boards, and have since I was a neophyte believer. I do it because it’s always good to stay ready and sharpened in your ability to give a defense of the faith – but also because it *is* missionary territory. Sometimes a “doozy” of a claim will come up, […]
Why Do Catholics Have Statues?
Imagine a soldier during WWII. His name is Steve. He’s in a foxhole, and in 45 seconds he and his fellow soldiers will be charging out of their foxhole, through a hail of gunfire, to the next trench. Undoubtedly, some of them won’t make it. In the final seconds before the charge, Steve reaches into […]
Random Posts
Biblical Evidence that Mary DIDN’T Have Marital Relations With Joseph
Mary is Ever Virgin – In Scripture Exodus 13:2,12 – Jesus is sometimes referred to as the “first-born” son of Mary. But “first-born” is a common Jewish expression meaning the first child to open the womb. It has nothing to do the mother having future children. Exodus 34:20 – under the Mosaic law, the “first-born” […]
What are Marian apparitions? What do I have to believe about them? What if they are on a grilled cheese sandwich?
A Marian apparition is a purported miraculous appearance of Mary on Earth. They are not a new phenomenon. “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called ‘private’ revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to […]
Many Parts, One Body: In Defense of Silent Worship
I hate to say it, but recently, for the first time ever, I left a retreat genuinely disappointed. I had some things on my heart, chief among them being unhappiness with my job. These are things for which I usually feel uplift and consolation during retreats. This time, it was different, but not because of the […]
Guns and Religion: Catholics, Fire Arms, the Right to Defend Oneself, and the Second Amendment
Over at USCatholic.org, there’s a piece boasting the church’s dedication to completely getting rid of guns from the hands of civilians. The Catholic Church’s position on gun control is not easy to find. . . . The answer is resoundingly clear: Firearms in the hands of civilians should be strictly limited and eventually completely eliminated. But […]
The Faces of Hope: Patrick’s Favorite Images of the Popes
Since the election of Pope Francis, Justin has posted several photos of him on Oramus and begged the question of how we cannot automatically love our new pontiff. I’ve recently found myself wondering the same thing. As I was gathering material for my last few entries, I found photos of the popes during whose reign […]